Great American Novel Episode 32: Watching the Flames from Slaughterhouse-Five
In Episode 32 of the Great American Novel podcast, we slip through time with Billy Pilgrim as we shuffle between the character’s experiences as a prisoner of war and first hand witness to the Dresden firebombing in World War II and then trip the light fantastic to the far flung planet Tralfamadore. Or…do we? Yes, this episode has your intrepid explorers hiding in Kurt Vonnegut’s masterful 1969 post-modern novel SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE. We ponder the author’s central questions: are all war novels doomed to sensationalize war? Can you capture such a horrific experience realistically? Must we become automatons to survive wars?
The Great American Novel podcast is an ongoing discussion about the novels we hold up as significant achievements in our American literary culture. Additionally, we sometimes suggest novels who should break into the sometimes problematical canon and at other times we’ll suggest books which can be dropped from such lofty consideration. Your hosts are Kirk Curnutt and Scott Yarbrough, professors with little time and less sense who nonetheless enjoy a good book banter. All opinions are their own and do not reflect the points of view of their employers, publishers, relatives, pets, or accountants.
Brief correction: in the episode Scott states that the protagonist of The Forever War is frozen cryogenically; this is incorrect. He is sent to places at relativistic speed and upon returning a great deal of time has passed.
All show music is by Lobo Loco. The intro song is “Old Ralley,” and the outro is “Inspector Invisible.” For more information visit: https://locolobomusic.com/. The trailer clips are from the film adaptation, Slaughterhouse-Five, adapted in a screenplay by Stephen Geller, dir. George Roy Hill.
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